Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Sertoli Cells Adapting Through Redox and Metabolic Pathways Under Heat Stress in Goats

Climate change-induced temperature elevations pose significant challenges to livestock reproduction, particularly affecting testicular function in small ruminants. This study investigates the acute heat-stress response in goat Sertoli cells (SCs), aiming to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying heat-induced damage to male reproductive tissues.

SCs were isolated from testes of 4-month-old black goats and exposed to heat stress (44 °C for 2.5 h). We employed transcriptome sequencing, CCK-8 assay, electron microscopy, ROS measurement, autophagy detection, Western blot analysis, and lactate concentration measurement. Bioinformatics analyses including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and protein-protein interaction network analyses were performed on the transcriptome data.

Heat stress significantly reduced SC viability, induced oxidative stress and autophagy, and altered gene expression profiles. We identified 1231 significantly differentially expressed genes, with significant enrichment in membrane-related processes and metabolic pathways. Metabolism-related genes, including PKLR, ACOT11, and LPCT12, were significantly downregulated. Protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed ten hub genes potentially crucial in the heat-stress response: HSP90AA1, HSPA5, BAG3, IGF1, HSPH1, IL1A, CCL2, CXCL10, ALB, and CALML4.

This study provides comprehensive insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying goat SC response to heat stress. The identified genes and pathways, particularly those related to metabolism and stress response, offer potential targets for developing strategies to mitigate heat-stress effects on livestock reproduction. These findings contribute to our understanding of climate change impacts on animal husbandry and may inform the development of heat-stress resistant livestock lines.